Safety & Compliance

Trucker Flips Rig To Avoid Worse Accident

A log truck driver is being credited with preventing an even worse accident by flipping his truck when a car ahead of him suddenly stopped on a Mississippi highway.

According to the Mississippi Highway Patrol, a driver from out of town was a little lost trying to find a school on Mississippi 19 near Long Greek, MS. When she saw the sign, she stopped suddenly to try to turn. James Curtis put his rig on his side rather than risk hitting the woman’s car or oncoming traffic.

“I knew that these logs would wrap this cab up if I hit something head-on, so I took my chances turning the truck over,” said Curtis, who is from Grove Hill, AL, as quoted in published reports. Every day, Curtis drives a log truck loaded with hardwoods from the Clarkdale, MS, area to the paper mill in Naheola, AL.Curtis’ truck did hit the fender of the car before it flipped sideways into the ditch. The driver of the car was treated for a slight arm injury.